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Peters sticks by Prosser after anti-Muslim comments

New Zealand First leader Winston Peters is standing by his under-fire MP, Richard Prosser, who's caused outrage with an anti-Muslim rant.

In a column for Investigate magazine Mr Prosser said Muslims come from a country called “Wogistan” and that all young men who look Muslim should be banned from flying.

Mr Prosser lashed out at Muslims in his column after becoming angry when his pocket knife was confiscated by airport security.

He called Muslims a “sorry pack of misogynist troglodytes from Wogistan, threatening our way of life and security of travel in the name of their Stone Age religion.”

He had this solution.

“If you are a young male, aged between say about 19 and 35, and you're a Muslim, or look like a Muslim, or you come from a Muslim country, then you are not welcome to travel on any of the West's airlines.

“Go ride a camel instead.”

Mr Prosser didn't show his face at Parliament today, but seems unrepentant.

“Well if MPs don't say this, who will? We are here to represent and to speak about the views that people have,” he told Newstalk ZB.

Mr Peters says while his MP’s view is unbalanced, “there is an element of truth to what he is saying”.

And he's sticking by Mr Prosser.

“We have MPs all over Parliament making mistakes day after day, including the Prime Minister. This is the first I’ve seen him make in 13 months, so that's political life.”

But Kiwi Muslims 3 News spoke to today say that's not good enough, and they want Mr Prosser out of Parliament.

A Danish cartoon about the Prophet Mohammed once caused riots and deaths overseas. But it's not yet known whether Mr Prosser will stick by what he's said.